Founded in 2014, Yacht Harbour has now gone through nearly 3 years of rapid growth, packed with milestones and interesting events. In this list are 11 things about Yacht Harbour that are not widely known, but we thought were interesting enough to share.
#1 Yacht Harbour started as an Instagram channel
Even though Yacht Harbour's initial plan was to build a web platform for a marketplace of yachts for sale, the company started an Instagram account in August 2014 to get some sort of traction, ahead of the launch of its website in December of that year.
At a time when no yachting media companies were on the platform, the strategy proved successful and saw Yacht Harbour get to 10,000 followers in under 4 months. This, in turn, proved instrumental to getting the first users to Yacht Harbour.
#2 We power instant results for a Top 5 search engine
Another little known fact about Yacht Harbour is that the company's index powers an instant result snippet for search engine, DuckDuckGo. One of the 5 available search settings on an iPhone, DuckDuckGo is a search engine built with privacy in mind.
Any user searching for a particular yacht on the platform, will see on top of search results an image of the yacht with it's main specifications, which DuckDuckGo displays using an API built by Yacht Harbour on top of its database for the search engine.
#3 News coverage was first meant as a content marketing play
Even though our audience is now spread evenly across its superyacht marketplace and its news section, Yacht Harbour's editorial coverage was started only in October 2015 to act as a content marketing vehicle for its search platform.
Despite these plans, news coverage rapidly evolved and grew to serve the purposes of a true media company, which Yacht Harbour has since become. Stories broken by our news department are now often used as sources by international media such as the BBC, CNBC and others.
#4 We built a chat bot to answer any yachting question
Developed in a wave of growing excitement over chat bots, Brook became the first chat bot in yachting that used a combination of machine learning, natural language recognition and big data to answer any question related to yacht.
Although Brook was since retired due to a lack of users, Yacht Harbour did manage to build a working version, answering over 80% of asked questions. Its original interface can still be seen here. When live it was even accessible from the Telegram messaging platform.
#5 Our content can be found on Forbes and Business Insider
As part of its content distribution strategy, Yacht Harbour struck deals with Business Insider to distribute part of its English-language content and to contribute stories to the French and Russian versions of Forbes.
With news stories around yachting and articles trying to open up the field to a more general audience, this content was read over 2 million times so far in 2017.
#6 We ran a crowdfunding campaign in our first year
Far from today's peak of attention around ICOs, Yacht Harbour ran a crowdfunding campaign in 2015 as an experiment, ahead of the launch of its charter marketplace to offer heavily discounted deals and lifetime advantages for participants.
Through the campaign, Yacht Harbour raised just under $3,000 from a series of contributors. The value of some the items offered then by Yacht Harbour has grown over 1,000x today.
#7 We get 10 million impressions of our content every month
Having rapidly grown from the 23 visitors Yacht Harbour on the day of it's launch, the company's combined channels now reach over 10 million impressions every month. This figure includes Yacht Harbour's website traffic, social media reach and audience on third-party platforms.
#8 There are sometimes easter eggs on Yacht Harbour
Sometimes overtaken by the holiday spirit, Yacht Harbour's homepage can sometimes change to adopt a special skin for limited times as seen above. So far, the company has dressed up its website for Halloween, Christmas and New Year's Eve but other events may soon be coming.
#9 One million minutes are spent watching Yacht Harbour's videos monthly
Playing an increasingly important role for any media company, videos have been a key to Yacht Harbour's success as well with over 800 days worth of videos being watched on our platform every month. The latest Black Pearl video alone reached over 3 million impressions on our network.
#10 Our Facebook page outranks its nearest competition 10 to 1
Owing much of its success to social media, Yacht Harbour has always tried to dominate the space in the superyacht sector and Facebook is currently the most reflective of this paradigm. Whereas Yacht Harbour gets 36,500 engagements on its page every week, the nearest competition currently sits at 3,300 engagements per week.
#11 It took us over 20,000 hours to build the Timeline platform
A major step forward in yacht search, Yacht Harbour's Timeline platform was launched in May 2017 after over 20,000 hours of research. The platform, compared to a Bloomberg terminal for yachting, lets its subscribers track the market in real time, discover the story behind any yacht and find the best deals on the market with big data.
Photos by Julien Hubert
The Adventure Area is the Monaco Yacht Show’s new themed exhibition dedicated to adventure, exploration and all manner of leisure activities on board a yacht.The exhibition will span across two sites at Monaco’s Port Hercule: Quai Antoine Ier, which previously featured the Car Deck and Tenders & Toys exhibitions, is now home to the Adventure Area that combines the two themes in a single location, boasting a myriad of luxury vehicles, tenders and water toys for visitors to discover; secondly, as in previous editions, around twenty tenders will be moored at Quai Jarlan.The new Adventure Area is set to boast a vast range of day-trip and sports tenders, luxury and off-road vehicles, water toys, high-tech gadgets, helicopters and tailor-made programmes to explore the planet’s most remote destinations.This expanded display underscores the organizers' commitment to providing visitors with the best yachting experience and is in line with trends where charter clients want to drive all-terrain vehicles to the North Pole or underwater excursions, boat trips off the coast of secluded islands, enjoy private excursions to historical and cultural sites in coastal areas, discover animal species or even take part in scientific trips.By announcing three new themed exhibitions for 2022 – the Sustainability Hub, the Yacht Design & Innovation Hub (new format) and the Adventure Area – the Monaco Yacht Show has proven that it is moving towards its goal of not only helping the industry reimagine the yachting experience, but also reaching out to a new generation of customers who are revolutionizing the concept of luxury.The Show will take place from 28 September to 1 October.Credits: MYS
June 30, 2022
Sirena Yachts has announced the debut of its brand-new 78 at the 2022 Cannes Yachting Festival. The 78 designed to be a do-it-all cruiser that excels as well as an entertainment platform as she does on longer-range voyages. The Sirena 78’s flying bridge is available either in open, semi-enclosed or fully enclosed formats. Sirena decided to offer these options as their clients tend to boat in a variety of locales with differing climates. Each of the latter iterations benefits from super-sized windows that let in natural light and also allow for excellent views. The main saloon in Elegance version The 78 will be absent from a main-deck helm station, which opens up space in that area for entertainment. The sheer amount of space means that all guests will have lots of room to relax and socialize on the main deck.The main saloon in Serenity version The centerpiece on the main-deck’s interior will be a massive galley. The enormous island provides loads of counter space that makes entertaining easy and also makes food prep a cinch. A deep sink, extra stowage, and full-size appliances round out the galley. Sirena’s new 78 will also have a revolutionary loose-furniture concept that is sure to impress any potential client. Pieces of furniture such as settees and ottomans will be able to be arranged nearly anywhere an owner so desires. In this way, the layout of the boat is ever-changing and even more customizable. The owner's cabin in Elegance version She can accommodate eight guests across four cabins. The yacht features a full-beam, amidships master cabin with a private bath and dressing area. A forepeak VIP benefits large windows.The main saloon in Inspiration version The 78 will have a unique foredeck area with a key element – a massive sunpad flanked by tables to port and starboard accompanied by L-shaped settees. The overall effect of this setup is a true alfresco lounge.The world debut will take place between 6 September and 11 September 2022 at the Cannes Boat Show.Sirena Yachts is a Turkish yacht brand. The company produces semi-displacement motor yachts ranging from 17m to over 30m.Credits: Sirena Yachts
June 30, 2022
Hylas Yachts has announced the important achievement: the Hylas H57 has won the prestigious Red Dot: Product Design Award 2022. This success comes after the world debut at the Newport International Boat Show 2021 for the H57. The H57 is designed by Dixon Yacht Design to evolve the concept with a host of features that make it easy to sail with automated technology and a layout with more open social spaces to enjoy. Red Dot Jury said: “The Hylas 57 convincingly marries form with functionality for an improved sailing experience on the high seas.”The H57 is designed to be handled by a couple with a hull shape that offers speed and comfort offshore, with a solid-lead fin keel designed to reduce side slip while stiffening the hull to accommodate the large 152 sqm sail area.Twin spade rudders are positioned well above the keel plane to optimize handling performance and provide a built-in backup if a rudder is compromised. Dedicated trim stations confine the sailing work of the H57 to specific deck areas. Electric winches and hydraulic furling systems add fingertip control to tending and reefing the sails. The main, reaching genoa and self-tacking jib all come with powered furling controls as standard.A sleek hard-top has been incorporated, adding even more comfort and versatility to this bluewater sailing vessel. The hard-top compliments the builder’s goals of introducing updated technology, the most advanced construction techniques, and fresh design lines. Bill Dixon’s design has a substantial 17-foot beam and makes the most of over five feet of freeboard to offer good headroom throughout the layout, including the aft owner’s cabin. Wraparound windows and no fewer than a dozen large portlights add to the airy, bright ambience belowdecks. The three-stateroom layout onboard the Hylas H57 has been designed to create an easy-living space for a cruising couple who will live aboard or cruise extensively with family and friends. Being a semi-custom builder, Hylas offers the owner input on how the interior has been. The owner’s cabin includes a queen berth on centerline accessible from both sides, as well as his- and-hers hanging lockers and drawers. The cabin is served by its own air- conditioning zone, ensuring owner comfort. Comfortable easy chairs positioned in the aft corners of the cabin make the most of the space and offer solitude from guests for reading or conducting business. The Hylas H57 is constructed of FRP composite using isophthalic gelcoat, cored with closed-cell foam and infused with vinylester resin for a strong, lightweight build.“The RedDot award is a great validation of the efforts our design and build teams put into keeping up with the latest technology, materials and consumer demands. Our efforts to be continuously at the cutting edge requires the philosophical mindset that our yachts are always part of an evolution”, says Andy Huang, Hylas CEO.The Queen Long Marine shipyard, founder and owner of the Hylas Yachts brand since 1985, has produced sailboats for over 40 years. Located in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the shipyard is equipped with reliable equipment and expert engineering, all while blending comfort and style to meet even the most stringent cruising needs. The design team features renowned naval architects such as Sparkman & Stephens, German Frers, Bill Dixon, and Dean Salthouse. The shipyard is constantly working on new design turn-out, with our most recent range innovation being thanks to collaborations with Zurn Yacht Design (US) and Hot Lab (Italy). Credits: Abner Kingman; Billy Black/Hylas Yachts
June 30, 2022
The newest Heesen 50m superyacht Book Ends (previously known as Project Sapphire), which was launched earlier this month, has gone through intensive sea trials at the North Sea. She is the second in the new semi-displacement 5000 Aluminum Class, a fast-cruising design of under 500GT which follows from the successful Satori Class. The in-house team was supported by Van Oossanen Naval Architects, who carried out the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tests. The yacht was sold in September 2021 by Thom Conboy from Heesen USA for experienced owners. After the successful sale of their 2017 47m Heesen motor yacht of the name Book Ends (now Artisans), Bob and Amy Book have returned to the Dutch shipyard for their second Heesen yacht in four years.<iframe src=https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fheesenyachts%2Fvideos%2F584941556381205%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0 width=560 height=314 style=border:none;overflow:hidden scrolling=no frameborder=0 allowfullscreen=true allow=autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share allowFullScreen=true></iframe>An optimized, low-drag hull design with a reduced transom depth – a design refinement conceived by Heesen’s in-house team of naval architects – has resulted in efficiency gains of around 12 per cent. A draft of just 2.15 meters makes her the perfect yacht for exploring shallow waters. Her ultra-efficient hull shape is seamlessly complemented by two MTU 16V4000M65L ‘green ocean’ engines, fitted with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) units to reduce NOx emissions. With a top speed of 23 knots, she perfectly embodies Heesen’s sporty DNA. Book Ends interior was penned by Cristiano Gatto. Twelve guests can be accommodated in four spacious suites on the lower deck and a master stateroom forward on the main deck. She offers plenty of outdoor deck space, with a raised lounge on the main deck aft, a dining area on the upper deck and another lounge on the foredeck. She also features a hot tub, bar and dining table. After completing sea trials she now undergoes interior outfitting before her delivery. Heesen Yachts is a Dutch ship building company that specializes in custom-built superyachts in aluminum and steel from 30m to 70m in size. Founded in 1978, it has launched more than 170 yachts since its inception.Credits: Heesen
June 29, 2022
The 26.58m Grand Banks 85 is the company's newest flagship. Following the success of the Grand Banks 60 in 2017 and Grand Banks 54, the model will make her European debut during this year's Cannes Yachting Festival 2022.Like all new Grand Banks models, the GB85 benefits from the infinite knowledge gained from building cruising designs for nearly seven decades and delivering more than 7,000 yachts. The GB85 is an ocean-going Bluewater cruiser that is also nimble with a shallow draft, making it equally suited for coastal cruising. Designed to travel efficiently at 21 knots for extended cruising, and easily handled by owner-operators, the internal configurations also accommodate spacious and impressive crew-quarters capabilities should that be the owners’ choice.Hull No. 1 is powered by twin 1,000HP Volvo IPS 1350s. During the pre-delivery test, the GB85 met all expectations. Like the entire range of the new generation of Grand Banks, the GB85 runs flat and pushes very little water, demonstrating the superior efficiency of the V-Warp platform. A beam of 6.75m allows Grand Banks to offer a range of internal configurations and amenities for both guests and crew. For long-distance cruising, special attention was given to both sociability and privacy.“First, we focused on what makes a superior long-distance cruiser while underway for long legs,” said Mark Richards, CEO of Grand Banks. “This means understanding the rhythm that occurs while on passage, and creating various spaces where you can separate from others off-watch. Some people onboard are focused on running the boat, others are relaxing, and others may be sleeping. This approach ticks a lot of boxes in how the design comes together.”The story of the famous line of Grand Banks defined the “recreational trawler” category, began as American Marine in 1956. In 1993 the same time in Sydney, Australia, the Palm Beach brand was established, soon transitioning from impeccable sailing sloops into picnic-style motor yachts, taking cues and paying homage to the classic lines of the lobster style boats in both Australia and the United States. GB Marine Group story started in 2014, when Grand Banks acquired Palm Beach Motor Yachts and appointed Mark Richards as Chief Executive Officer. Credits: One Van der Wal/Grand Banks Yachts
June 29, 2022